Motion-checking device.



No. 692,87I. Patented Feb. Il, |902.

- H. LEMP.

MTION CHECKING DEVICE.

'Appliea'cion med July 1s, 1900. nenwed Nov. 1, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheefs-$heet I.

5 Figi.

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No. 692,87l. l Patented reu.. ||,'|9o2.

, vH. LEMP.

MOTION CHECKING DEVICE.

(Application led July 18, 1900, Renewed Nov. 1, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

j ma F h vUNI-TED STAT-Es "PATENT i OFFICE.

HERMANN LEMP, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ELIHU THOMSON, OF SWAMPSCOT'R MASSACHUSETTS.

MOTION-CHECKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,871, dated February 11, 1902. Application filed .Tnly 18, 1900. Renewed November 1, 1901. Serial No. 80,823. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN LEMP, a citi` zen ofthe United States, residing at Lynn,- in the county of Essex, State of Massachu' .setts, have invented certain new and useful vice, more particularly described in connection with vehicles, which is so arraugedthat the wheels are automatically locked against road strains and one which is so constructed that amovement of the handle in the direction required to steer the vehicle first releases the locking mechanism and then causes the steering of the vehicle.

The present application has for its object to improve the construction of the apparatus of the type above referred to.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a vertical section of the checking device. n Fig. 2 isa horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig.` 3 is a view showing the piston in elevation. Fig. 4 is a seotion taken on the line 4. 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the relatonof the parts during the act of moving. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the check on' a reduced scale. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of the removable member, which contains an auxiliary charnber. Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the same.

In my prior application the center of motion ofthe steering-handle coincides with the center of the main chamber containing 4the piston and fluid. The construction of the` present apparatus diers' principally-in that the centers of motion ofthe steering-handle and that of the piston are eccentric with respect to the center of the main cylinder. By

this arrangement of parts I am enabled to.

greatly reduce the-size of the cylinder without in -any way decreasing the effective operation of the check and also to reduce the cost of manufacture.

The other features of 'tI-ierence will b e more Ifully described and claimed hereinafter.

In thegdrawings, A represents a cylinder -of the casting.

or casing, which is provided with lugs A', that form a portion ofthe clamp for securing it to the tubular stationary axle B. The balance of the support is formed by detachable caps C, which areV held in placeL by bolts. The interior of the casing is preferably cylindrical on account of the ease with which it can be made. About midway between the top and bottom of the casing is formed a shoulder D, on which rests the removable member E. n ,f

The piston for the check is substantially L-shaped, as shown in Fig. 3, and is provided with a hub or'extension F, whichpasses through the removable member E, top lplate ton. In addition to this the piston also Vmakes a working fit with the under sideor surface Passing downward through the hub of the piston is a shaft J, upon which are turned near the upper end a series of small grooves J. These grooves are intended to prevent the free entrance of air. Below these narrow grooves are two portions of the' vcentric with the center of motionl of the pis- -v shafthaving reduced cross-sections, as J2,

for example. filled with iiuid, which is received through the opening c', which fluid acts to'prevent the entrance of air. The lower end of the These reduced portions are shaft is slotted,and mounted therein and ex- ,Y

'arranged that it normally tends to hold the valve in its closed position. Mounted in the center of each valve L is an adjustable pin L4, lwhich is arranged to engage with "the valve-actuator K and be moved thereby when l it is desired to steer the vehicle. Located above the piston and also on the right-hand side thereof is a removable member composed of a casting E, which forms an auxiliarychamber for receiving fluid-such as glycerin, for example. This chamber is in communication with one or the other of the chambers M or N on the side of the piston-as, for example, by the hole c, Figs. 7 and 9.

In steering-checks of this character it is preferable to provide means for excluding air from the working chambers M and N, which are lled with a normally quiescent body of fluid, such as glycerin, and also to provide means for maintaining a constant supply of said fiuid therein. This is accomplished by providing an auxiliary chamber containing liuid, which chamber is formed in the removable casting E. The construction of this casting is best shown on Sheet 2 of the drawings. The main` body of the casting is circular or disk-like in form and is closely tted into the casing A, the lower portion of the main body being seated on the shoulder D. Around the periphery of the casting is a groove which when the parts are assembled forms an annular chamber E', opening into the joint between the parts, and the liquid therein prevents the entrance of air. The inside of the casting is cut away to form an auxiliary fluid-chamber E3, and communication between it and the annular chamber E is established by the holes E2. A hub containing an opening E4 is provided to receive the hub orextension of the piston, and formed in the hub is a small annular chamber E5, which communicates with the annular chamber E' through holes Eand with the large auxiliary chamber through holes E7. In order to strengthen the casting E, radial ribs E8 are provided, extending from a common center. These ribs are provided with openings E9, so that the liquid may pass freely from one section to another. Located below the main body of the casting E and formed integral therewith is a projection, the outer face of which is concentric with the inner wall ot' the casing A, while the inner face E10 is concentric with the center of movement of the actuating-shaft. This projection is cored out to form a part of the auxiliary duid-containing chamber. The casting or removable member is retained in place by the pin T at the bottom andby the cover G at the top, which rests on the ribs ES and is secured to the casing by screws O. A removable plug U is provided, Fig. 6, whereby the chambers may be filled with Huid without removing the cover.

Sleeved around the upper end of the pistonhub is an actuator H, which is retained in place by the bolt II. The actuator is expanded at its outer end and is provided with bolt-holes H2 on opposite sides of the center, whereby it may be secured to the steeringrods of the vehicle or to the movable portion of the apparatus when the check is used for l purposes other than steering. Formed on the upper side of the actuator are split lugs H3. Each one of these lugs contains a screwthreaded plug H, and mounted within the plugs are spring-pressed buers H5. By adjusting the position of the plugs the tension on the buffers can be varied.

Rigidly mounted on the upper end of the actuating-shaft J is a fork P, and formed integral with this fork or secured thereto by any suitable means is an arm P', which extends between the spring-pressed buffers H5. This arm is the medium through which motion is transmitted from the steering-handle to the wheels or to the other apparatus to be controlled. Due to the spring-pressed buffers the arm P is permitted to move a certain amount before the act of steering takes place. This interval of lost motion is sufficient to permit one or the other of the valves L to open. Forexample, in Fig. 5 the valve-actuator K is shown as being in engagement with one of the valves, and the Huid in chamber M is passing into chamber N in the manner indicated by the arrow. Pivotally mounted in the fork P is a block Q, which in turn is pivotally secured to a fork R, that is rigidly cou nected to the steering rod or tube S.

Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 and that it is desired to steer the vehicle or to adj ust the relation of certain ot' the parts in case the check is applied to devices other than vehicles, the valve-actu ator K is moved by means ofthe tube S. This causes one of the valves L to open and the arm P to compress the spring of one of the buffers H5 and to permit the spring ofthe other buffer to extend slightly. As soon as the piston commences to move, due to the opening of one ofthe valves, the fiuid in rushing from one of the main chambers into the chamber I Within the piston will force open the second valve against the action of its spiral spring and permit the iiuid to enter the second main chamber. As soon as the pressure is relieved on the tube S, the springpressed buers bring the arm P to a central position, or, in other words, to a position midway between them, and at the same time the springs L3 willclose the valves and the parts will be in the locked position.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an element having a cylindrical wall, a second element eccentrically mounted with respect to the first, the two elements being capable of movement with respect to each other, a body of normally quiescent fluid for checking the 'rec movements of the parts, and means for controlling the iuid.

2. In an apparatus of the character de- IOO IIO

scribed, the combination of acylindrical casing, a piston eccentrically mounted withir the casing which divides the same into chambers, a piece having a face concentric with the moving piston located Within the casing, a body of normally quiescent huid, and means for governing the passage of Huid from one chamber to another.

3. In combination, a fluid-containing cylindrical casing, a piston eccentrically mounted within the casing, are'movable member fitting into the cylinder and provided with an extension which has a surface concentric with the center of motion of the piston, and valves for controlling the passage of uid from one side of the piston to the other.

4. In a motion-checking device, the combination of a cylindrical casingfa non-concentrically mounted piston working therein,-a removable member containing an auxiliary fluid-chamber mounted within the casing and provided with an extension having. asurface 4which is concentric with the center of motion of the piston.

5. In a motion-checking device, the combi-` nation of a casing, a piston eccentrically mounted for movement therein, a removable member closely itting the casing and contain@ ing a fluid-chamber, and a second fluid-chamber opening into the joint betweenthe casing andthe member for preventing the entrance of air.

6. In a motion-checking device, the combination of a` cylindrical casing, a piston eccentrically mounted therein and provided with a hub', a removable member through which the hub of the piston extends, and an annulariiuid-containingchamber'whichsurrounds the hub and opens into the joint between the huband said member for'preventing the entrance of air into the" space occupied bythe I piston.

7. In a motion-checking device, the combination of a cylinder, a piston having a hub mounted therein, the centers of the piston` and cylinder being non-coincident, aremovable member, an annular Huid-containing chamber opening into the joint between the cylinder and the member, and a second annular fluid-containing chamber which opens into the joint between the said member and the piston-hub.

8. In a` motion-checking device, the combination of a cylinder, a piston having a hub. mounted therein, a removable member, an an` nular uid-containingchamber opening into the joint between the cylinder and the member, and a second annular huid-containing chamber which opens into the -joint betweenthe said member and the piston-hub, the two annular chambers being eccen trically located i with respect to each other.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical casing having a seat formed in one of its walls,

a removable'member which has `a peripheral groove and is adaptedto be seated on the Vshoulder ofthe casing, apiston eccentrically mounted within the casing, and a coverwhich rests on the removable memberand is secured.

to the casing;

"endsrapiston-mounted within said cylinder with its axis of movement disposed eccentrically with' respect to the center ofthe cylinder, a body of iuid located on each side of the piston, valvesl for regulating the passing of juid from one chamber lto another,A and a means located within the cylinder, Vwhich lls a certain amount of space between one of the walls and the end of thepiston and has a surface which is concentric with the center of motion of the piston. Y

A11, p In combination,a cylinder,a piston hav-l ing a hub, a grooved shaft extending through saidhub and capable of a slight independent movement, and a duid-containing chamber which communicates with-the grooved por# tion ofthe shaft, the objectjbeing toy preventfor, a cylinder containing a body of fluid,=a j

removable member containing an auxiliary duid-chamber, a fluid-chamber communicating with the piston-bearings, an'da second fluid-chamber communicating with the' joint-v i between said member and the cylinder, both of said chambers drawing their fluid from the auxiliary. chamber. l 1 y f 1 3. vIn a motion-checking device, thecom.-

bination of two-elements which are movable with 4respect to eachother, an auxiliary liuid- 1 Ioo containing chamber, andv chambers opening into the joints between thetwo elements,

which` draw their fluid-supply from the auxil iary chamber. i

14.. Asan article .of manu`facture,.an eler` ment for a motion-checking device,- comprising abody of metal havin'ga cylindricalsur#A face withan annulargroove therein, anl open= f ing forreceiving a piston-actuator, and a -prof jection which has at least onecurved surface the main body.

that is eccentrically disposed with respect to' 15.J .As an article of manufacture, a remov# able member fora checking device, compris: inga substantially disklike main body havlng an openingto receive the piston-actuator,

and a projection which has onesurface thatl is concentric and one surface that is non-con- Vcentricyviththe mainbody.,v y

l 16. As-an article of manufacture,l a piston fora checking devicecomprising-'a substanupper hub through which the shaft-passes lIz'o i tially |.-shaped structure having an extendedwith a lower hub that is arranged to beseated Nina suitable bearing, anda chamberthat'fis l formed in the horizontal portion of the struc- -f ture and communicates with the outside yof the piston through two valve-openings.V

In witnesswhereof -I- have hereunto set my? "tana this iuhlday of'July, 1900. A1,-1ERawls,LEivH Witnesses z v Wn D. POOL, `x I L JOHNy McMANUs.- 

